Card-file.



ls. T. WALToN.

GARD FILE.

APPLIGATIOJ; Hmm SEPT. 19, 190e.

Patented July 6, 1909.

NVENTOR yWIT/VESSES u v l Alfons] length of the drawer.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL T. WALTON, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE UNIT STEELCABINET COMPANY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

CARD-FILE T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL T. VALTON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Card-F iles, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention pertains to card files and has for its object to providea cardsiling drawer in which the follower carries the means for lockingit in its adjusted positions.

A further object is to provide a follower having means whereby it may beunlocked, adjusted, and set, all in substantially one operation and byone hand.

Another object is to provide a follower in which the locking means iscarried wholly by the follower and the necessity of fitting each filingdrawer with the usual locking rods and their operating mechanism is doneaway with, which natural-ly lessons the cost of manufacture, and gives abetter and neater external appearance to the cabinet.

llVith these objects and others, which will be pointed out in the courseof the following specification, and set forth in the appended claims, myinvention embodies the structure shown in the accompanying drawing inwhichz- Figure 1 is a perspective View of the card file showing thefollower in position. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the follower. Fig.3 is a bottom plan view of the follower showing the slides extended.Fig. t is a similar view showing the slides retracted. Fig. 5 is adetail perspective view of one of the slides.

Referring more in detail to the several gures, wherein like numerals ofreference designate corresponding parts in the diiferent illustrations,1 designates a drawer of any preferred type, preferably of sheet metal,the sides 2 of which have at each of their bottom edges a seat, formedin the present case by a bead or corrugation 3 running lengthwise forapproximately the entire The corrugations 3 forni on the inner loweredges of the sides 2 a pair of seats or grooves, which constitute theguide-ways for the follower. Instead of forming the sides 2 with thecorrugations 3, slots could be cut therein to receive the guiding piecesof the follower, or if the card file were of wood, it would. be

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 19, 1908.

Patented July, 1909.

Serial No. 453,874.

equally as serviceable to cut grooves or channels therein to receive thefollower guiding pieces.

The follower comprises in the form herein disclosed, a sheet of flexiblemetal t having a substantially slanting face 5 and a ver tical back 6,which face and back have their lower edges 7 turned inwardly in the sameplane. The members 7 constitute supporting plates for the guiding piecesor slides, which are carried by the follower, and will now be described.These slides comprise two overlapping and movable plates 8 that are heldin assembled relation by registering slots 10 through which pass studs11. This connec tion between the slides being loose permits them to beextended or retracted. At their outer corner edges each of theretractile slides is provided with an angularly or inwardly disposedslot 12, the two slots at each end converging so as to providesubstantially cani elements. The retractile slides lit within thefollower' 5 and rest upon the plates 7, inA which position they aremovably attached to said plates by rivets 13 passing through said platesand the slots or cam elements 12. The outer or exposed edges of theslides 8 are bent downwardly and outwardly to provide 'flanges 9 adaptedto have sliding movement within the slots or guideways 3 of the file. Byreason of the peculiar manner in which the outer edges of the slides 8are formed it will be seen that the flanges 9 serve as a support for thefollower whereby the entire bottom thereof is free from contact with thebottom of the drawer. This gives the further advantage of avoidingfrictional hindrance when the slides are being retracted for adjustingthe follower.

By reason of the resiliency of the sheet 4 there is a tendency for thefront and back walls 5 and 6 thereof to spread, which tendency, throughthe medium of the rivets 13 within the cam slots 12, extends or projectsthe slides 8, thus forcing the flanges 9 thereof into close engagementwithin the seats or grooves 3 in the sides 2 of the file, and thus holdthe follower in position. When it is desired to move the follower, it is`necessary only to grip the walls 5 and 6 between the thumb andforefinger which will cause the engaging elements between the plates 7and the slides 8 to operate in a direction reverse to that justdescribed, which operation retracts the slides and permits the llOflanges 9 thereof to have freedom of movement within the grooves 3.

F rom the foregoing description, it will be seen that there is provideda card file serving every purpose for which it is intended and withoutthe independent and sometimes clumsy locking bars for holding thefollower in adjusted position.

IVhile I have shown and described a certain manner for accomplishingthis, I do not wish to be understood as limited to the precise detailsof structure shown, but rather reserve the right to make such changestherein as will better adapt the idea to its purpose, and to make thesealterations without departing from the essentials of the idea involved.

What is claimed as new is l. A card file, a follower slidable therein,and independent retractile slides for guiding and holding said followerin position, said slides adapted to be retracted through the medium ofthe follower proper.

2. A card file, a follower slidable therein, and retractile slidesconstituting the bottom portion of said follower, and means whereby saidslides may be retracted for adjusting the position of the follower.

3. A card file, a follower slidable therein, said follower having amovable side, and retractile slides engaging therewith and adapted to beretracted through the medium thereof whereby the position of thefollower may be changed.

fl. A card file, a follower slidable therein, said follower havingmovable sides, and retractile slides engaging therewith, said slidesadapted to be retracted through the medium of the movable sides wherebythe position of the follower may be changed.

5. A card file, a follower slidable therein, said follower havingmovable sides, and a pair of overlapping retractile slides engagingtherewith and constituting the bottom of the follower, said slidesadapted to be retracted through the medium of the movable sides wherebythe position of the follower may be changed.

6. A card file, a follower slidable therein, said follower comprising asheet of flexible material providing resilient sides, the lower edges ofsaid sides being turned inwardly, retractile slides engaging therewithand adapted to be retracted through the medium of the resilient sideswhereby the position of the follower may be changed.

7. A card file, having guide-ways, a follower, said follower havingflexible sides, and retractile slides carried by said follower andhaving members engaging within the guide-ways of the card file, saidslides adapted to be operated through the medium of the flexible sides,whereby the position of the follower may be changed.

S. A card file having guide-ways, a follower, said follower comprising asheet of flexible material providing resilient sides, retractile slidesprovided with cam slots having engagement with said sides, whereby saidslides are normally projected to engage within the guide-ways of thefile and lock the follower.

9. A card file having guide-ways, a follower slidable therein, saidfollower having flexible sides, and retractile slides engaging with saidsides and normally distended whereby to locl; the follower in setposition, said slides adapted to be retracted through the medium of theflexible sides whereby the position of the follower may be changed.

l0. A card file having guide-ways, a follower slidable therein, saidfollower having flexible sides, a pair of retractile plates providedwith flanges engaging within the guide-ways, said slides secured to theunderside of the follower by a plurality of cam members whereby saidslides may be retracted or distended for changing the position of thefollower.

11. A card file, a follower slidable therein, and having a movable side,and independent follower locking means carried by said follower andoperable by said movable side.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

SAMUEL T. VALTQN.

lVitnesses JAMES I'I. lVooD, IVM. S. Sn'r'rLn.

